Top-eight scramble, drop zone jitters ...

THE Absa Premiership goes into the final round tomorrow with five mid-table teams in the mix for a topeight finish and five at the bottom battling for survival.

Of the remaining six clubs, who are confirmed qualifiers for next season’s MTN8 competition, only champions Bidvest Wits are secure in their position. Across the league, the other teams who can’t be overtaken are third-placed Cape Town City and Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, who occupy fifth and 11th positions respectively.

Besides relegation and the top eight, the fight for second place and entry to the African Champions League is still on between Mamelodi Sundowns and CT City. The team that finish third qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup, the continent’s second-tier club competition.

Local interest will centre around Golden Arrows and Maritzburg United’s chances of finishing in the top half. Midlands side Maritzburg, placed seventh, should retain their top section ranking with a draw when Bloemfontein Celtic visit Harry Gwala Stadium. That would see Arrows needing to thump Pirates by a nine-goal margin to make up an inferior goal difference (all matches start at 3pm) Tomorrow: Kaizer Chiefs v Bidvest Wits (FNB Stadium); Ajax Cape Town v Baroka FC (Cape Town Stadium); SuperSport United v Platinum Stars (Lucas and overtake Maritzburg in terms of goals scored. It’s an extremely long shot despite Pirates’ poor standard this term.

A more realistic hope for Abafana Bes’thende is to beat Bucs at Moses Mabhida Stadium and hope that eighth-placed Ajax Cape Town draw or lose against Baroka Moripe Stadium); Golden Arrows v Orlando Pirates (Moses Mabhida Stadium); Free State Stars v Chippa United (Goble Park Stadium); Maritzburg Utd v Bloem Celtic (Harry Gwala Stadium); Polokwane City v Cape Town City (Old Peter Mokaba Stadium); Highlands Park v Mamelodi Sundowns (Makhulong Stadium) FC. The latter’s fight for survival will see them throw everything into the clash, which will be one of the main battles of the afternoon.

Pirates, though, must overcome Arrows, and bank on Platinum Stars and Ajax Cape Town stumbling. And they would need to make up five goals to overtake Ajax.